A Co Antrim mum has spoken of her despair after spending months trying to ward off a mouse infestation in her home.
Holly, from Ballyclare, said she was over the moon when she was offered a Housing Executive property in May last year, believing that she would have a nice home to raise her baby daughter in.
But just a few months later she says that her life had become hell as she was finding mice constantly coming into her home and no matter what she attempts to do, they keep returning.
Read more: Belfast mum's fears after finding rat in her 'overcrowded' apartment
Holly says that at one point over the summer she managed to catch 12 mice in one week and since then she has "lost count" of the number of times she has found them.
There was even one occasion where she videoed a mouse walking along her daughter's cot on a baby camera.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Holly said: "When I was first offered this house I was so excited that I signed the contract straight away and immediately set about decorating and making the place nice for my daughter and I.
"Everything was brilliant for the first couple of months, but then around the end of July I started to find mice in the house.
"At first I thought it may have been a one off, but then I kept finding more and more of them and eventually ended up catching 12 of them in one week.
"Since then I have been begging for help to get things sorted, but the mice keep coming back and it is beginning to have an impact on mine and my daughter's health."
Holly said that she contacted her local MLA Pam Cameron in order to get help with her home and following this pest control were sent to the property, but the problem still persisted.
The Housing Executive also sent workers round to plaster up holes in her house to stop access points for the mice, but this only worked for around three weeks before they began to return again.
Holly continued: "The Housing Executive are telling me that they have done all that they can to stop the mice coming into our home and have said that I could be put on a transfer list for a new home, but then it could be years before I have another house that is suitable.
"I am also not in a position to give up the house I currently have because then I would be making myself intentionally homeless.
"We have no idea where the mice are coming from and I have neighbours who are experiencing similar problems.
"I am just desperate for something to be sorted quickly because I cannot bear living like this for much longer and I am terrified for how this will affect my daughter."
Holly also said that she was aware of a previous tenant at the property who had left due to the mice infestation and has questioned why she and her daughter were allowed to live there.
A Housing Executive spokesperson said: “We are aware of the issue with mice at Bellevue Place and our maintenance staff have visited the tenant’s home several times to fill possible access gaps and holes.
“However, we believe a rodent infestation at another property, not owned by us, is the source of the problem.
“We have engaged with the local Environmental Health Officer in order to address this.
“In the meantime, our maintenance officer for the area will call with the tenant this week to see if we can do anything further to help improve their situation.”
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